MS in Leadership and Management

Master’s programmes in International Leadership and Managementand Management are designed to provide knowledge and training for specialised positions in enterprises operating in Iceland and abroad. The study programmes provide a good grounding in the area of finance, management, marketing, leadership and interpersonal communication, with an emphasis on internationality, responsible leadership and corporate business operations outside of the home country.

The Master’s programme in Leadership and Management underscores and supports the role of Bifröst University in preparing people for leadership positions in the working world and in the community, guided by principles of sustainability and social responsibility. Leadership is a multifaceted phenomenon that must be viewed from many angles. To achieve this objective, diverse course offerings are available, forming both a theoretical and a practical foundation. These include a special course on servant leadership, as well as courses dealing with many different leadership theories. Emphasis is placed on communications and communication skills for managers and leaders.

The study programme is designed to prepare students for complex and demanding managerial and leadership positions. Modern administrative practices and governance call for team communication, and how to provide leadership in teams will thus form a particular focus of the study programme. The purpose of the programme is likewise to research and find out how successful organisations apply professional leadership and management.

Exchange studies

Students have the opportunity to spend one semester studying at one of Bifröst University’s partner universities. Exchange studies are good preparation for studies and work in an international environment and at the same time give students an opportunity to get to know another culture, gain valuable experience and expand their horizons. A good number of Master’s students spend an exchange semester abroad, although fewer do so than undergraduate students.

Electives

Students can choose courses from other Master’s degree programmes, in particular from programmes in Cultural Management and Law.

Internship

The objective of internships is to offer students on-the-job training under the professional guidance of experienced managers and administrators of businesses and institutions. Internships involve training in the workplace, centring on the activities of the participating institution/business. The supervisor and student meet regularly and assess the work and project progress. On completion of an internship, students should be able to make use of appropriate methods and techniques for the tasks assigned to them, have achieved autonomy in their working methods and be able to set up and follow a project schedule.

Research connections

An effort is made to connect academic research as best as possible to the courses offered; at any given time, a number of students are participants in various research projects at Bifröst. Students’ various undertakings outside Bifröst alongside their studies have contributed to increased maturity and an enhanced connection between the study programme and the working world.

Programme structure and teaching methods

Admission requirements to the study programme are a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, pursuant to the National Qualification Framework for Higher Education and Degrees from 2011.

Students can graduate with an MS degree in International Business or an MS degree in Leadership and Management by completing 10 courses and a final thesis worth 30 ECTS credits. Students may also elect to complete 15 courses and no final thesis and thereby graduate with qualification at the Master’s level.[1] MIB in International Business and MLM in Leadership and Management.

One ECTS credit is considered to correspond to 25-30 hours of student work. This work includes all reading, assignment work, preparation for final examinations, presentations, working weekends, lectures and all other work that students complete in connection with a course.

The study programme leverages and builds on the knowledge and experience of people who have worked in different fields of business. Teaching methods differ from what is conventional elsewhere, combining distance learning and on-campus studies. Distance learning programmes are offered in the fall and spring semesters; distance-learning students also attend working weekends at Bifröst. Instruction is largely based on concrete assignments with a vocationally oriented connection to business.